Buchan floating wind farm targets consent before year end

The Buchan offshore wind farm has secured certification for its foundation technology, positioning the project to seek offshore consent before the end of the current year. The 960MW development, located 47 miles off the coast of Fraserburgh, achieved a significant milestone when DNV certified the Damping Pool structure developed by BW Ideol. This progress offers a degree of optimism to an industry that has faced periods of stagnation, with developers and suppliers alike seeking tangible wins in the coming twelve months. Such victories are essential and may take the form of crucial legislation, government support through transmission charging reform, or favourable outcomes from the Strategic Spatial Energy Plan.

BW Ideol is developing the project alongside BayWa and Elicio, with plans to install 70 turbines in the North Sea. The project team has reached several milestones this year, including the opening of a Glasgow office and securing funding support to manufacture foundations at the Port of Ardersier. Having already received onshore consent, the offshore consent application has been in the approval process since August 2025. Debbie Olson, head of consents and land for Buchan, indicated that the team is aiming to secure consent as soon as possible, expressing a preference for a resolution before Christmas, though she acknowledged the uncertainty of the timeline.

If consent is granted in the near future, the project would be on track to enter the next year’s allocation round nine and reach a final investment decision in 2029. Production of the foundations is scheduled to begin at the start of the decade. The grid connection to the existing Peterhead substation is set for October 2033, with first power expected in the same year and full operation commencing in 2035. This timeline aligns with broader industry goals to procure or approve additional megawatts of capacity, providing a solid foundation for future growth in the floating offshore wind sector.

Meanwhile, Nadara is developing the 1.8GW Bellrock floating offshore wind farm, situated 75 miles east of Stonehaven in Aberdeenshire. The company submitted its offshore consent applications earlier this year. Catherine Speirs, head of operations and maintenance at Nadara, stated that the firm is progressing its permits and hopes to secure consent in 2028, although she cautioned that the outcome remains to be seen. The project is designed to connect 1.2GW of its capacity at the Hurley Substation in 2032, with the remaining 600MW coming online in 2035. Financial close is targeted for 2030, and the first offshore construction is planned for 2032.

In parallel, Nadara has engaged X-Ocean to conduct survey work, with a current focus on the export cable corridor. Inspire is also carrying out benthic surveys on the corridor route. Speirs explained that these surveys are intended to secure the data required for consent applications and the engineering design process. The project is also moving into its procurement and delivery phase, with a strong focus on engaging with tier one suppliers across turbines, foundations, and electrical contracts. The company aims to accelerate this engagement into 2027, ensuring that supply chain commitments are firmly in place as the project advances towards construction.

The 1.5GW Celtic Sea Gwynt Glas project, developed by EDF and ESB, is also making strides. Japan’s Sumitomo took a 33.33% stake in the project earlier this year. With its scoping report submitted this summer, the project is being developed alongside two other Celtic Sea sites, all of which will connect at a point in Fermarthen Bay. The developers have ten years from the lease signing date of 1 October 2025 to make a final investment decision. Project director Mark Hazelton noted that the team is still forming its strategy for delivery but is focused on a long-term plan. They are procuring key technical and environmental surveys with the aim of securing consent in 2029, while engaging with tier one suppliers to finalise technology selection in the late 2020s, targeting construction in the mid-2030s.